Box Score

PORTLAND, Ore. — The new kids on the block officially became the Crusaders' heartbreakers.

For the second straight time this season, NCAA newcomer Concordia scored a victory following a dramatic finish, holding off the Northwest Nazarene men's basketball team, 72-70, in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action.

Saturday night, the Cavaliers erased a 6-point deficit in the final 3 minutes and held on as the Crusaders missed a 3 at the buzzer for the second straight game on the road.

On Thursday, a blocked 3-pointer spoiled NNU's chance to force overtime in a 62-59 loss at No. 4-ranked Western Oregon.

"We played pretty well this week on the road. We could have easily been 2-0," NNU head men's basketball coach Scott Flemming said.

Down a half-dozen midway through the second half, the Crusaders (7-11 overall, 3-9 GNAC) trimmed the difference to 51-50 on one of five 3-pointers by Detwon Rogers, and eventually grabbed a 59-57 lead on a Nikola Prvulj layup with 5 minutes to play.

A Mike Wright triple with 3 minutes remaining put NNU on top, 67-61, and it looked like the Crusaders were well in control.

But three missed 3s on offense allowed the host Cavaliers (6-13, 4-8) to flip the lead to their favor with a 10-0 run, leading to a dramatic finish.

A Wright 3-ball made it a 71-70 difference, and after Concordia missed 3-of-4 free throws that could have iced the win in the final 10 seconds, NNU had one last chance.

The Crusaders went for the win, but Wright's 3-pointer hit the back iron and bounced out and NNU suffered its second straight heartbreaking loss of the week, and second heartbreaker this season against Concordia.

"They hit big shots at the end and we didn't," Flemming said. "It is tough because we are improving but we don't have anything to show for it in these two close losses."

In Nampa, Idaho, back on New Year's Eve, the Crusaders erased a 6-point deficit in the final 30 seconds, forcing overtime against the visiting Cavaliers, who eventually won, 87-83.

Saturday night, Rogers led all scorers with a game-high 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds for NNU, while Wright added 13 points, five boards and four steals for the Crusaders, who outrebounded the Cavaliers, 36-34, including 13-8 on the offensive glass.

But the Crusaders shot 25-of-62 from the field (40.3 percent), while Concordia hit 26-of-50 shots (52.0 percent).

"We rebounded much better on both ends tonight," Flemming said, adding, "but overall we didn't shoot well against the zone."

NNU is back in action quickly this week, playing at travel partner Central Washington on Tuesday before wrapping up a 4-game road trip at Montana State Billings on Saturday.